ABSTRACT

Despite the generally acephalous landscape of the Igbo society of southeastern Nigeria, forms of hierarchy are noticeable, with certain criteria traditionally established to rank some villages higher than or ‘senior’ to others. This paper drew from ethnographic research in two Igbo towns to explore ways in which masks and oral tradition were deployed to advance the ranked orders of lineages and villages. Contemplating this scenario in such a place like the Igbo society well known for its acephalous landscape is the broader perspective the paper raised. In the village groups studied, oral tradition and ranking of masked performances were seen to co-extend from existing lineage- and village-based hierarchies. Masking and oral tradition were major tools that ritualized and ratified the prevailing hierarchies, endowing them with supernatural legitimacy, in order to ensure their sustenance. The benefits accruing to the advantaged lineages and villages would tend to motivate a tendency to sustain the established structures.

摘要

尽管尼日利亚东南部的伊博社会总体上是一片灰暗的土地，但等级制度的形式还是很明显的，传统上建立了某些标准来将一些村庄排在比其他村庄更高或“高级”的位置。本文借鉴了两个伊博城镇的人种学研究，以探索如何部署面具和口头传统来提高世系和村庄的排名顺序。在像伊博社会这样以其头骨景观而闻名的地方考虑这种情况是论文提出的更广阔的视角。在所研究的村组中，口头传统和蒙面表演的排名被认为是从现有的以世系和村庄为基础的等级制度共同扩展的。掩饰和口头传统是仪式化和认可盛行等级制度的主要工具，赋予他们超自然的合法性，以确保他们的生计。优势血统和村庄所带来的好处往往会激发维持既定结构的趋势。